Be patient, flexible as travel resumes

Summer is here and Atlantic Canadians are ready to get out and see the world. In our most recent representative survey of residents in our region, over half the population told us they plan to travel for a vacation in July or August. While many still plan to stick to vacationing within the region, over a quarter plan to take a flight and explore other parts of Canada or will venture outside the country. Two years of mostly staying at home has clearly built strong desires to get out and travel again.

Across the region there are widespread travel plans, but Nova Scotians are the most likely to indicate they will be vacationing outside of their home province this summer. And while people of all ages and demographics are likely keen to hop on a plane, those with higher incomes are more likely to have solidified their vacation plans for the summer.

Unfortunately, travel may not be smooth sailing. Many factors will likely cause frustrations for those eager to travel again. Across the sector, staff shortages continue to loom, impacting businesses’ ability to meet the demands of a growing number of travellers. Case in point, Air Canada, having seen a surge in demand for travel, has indicated it will be cutting dozens of flights in July and August as it cannot cope with the volume of travellers.

DELAYS, DELAYS

Many have already experienced unprecedented delays at some of Canada’s major airports, and some travellers are likely to reconsider their plans. Recently we asked Canadians in an online survey about their travel experiences. Perhaps not surprisingly, most Canadians who travelled by air in the last three months said they had experienced delays. And while some are willing to accept delays and will not change their plans, nearly half of air travellers said they will either wait to travel until conditions are better, or will try to schedule their travel around less busy times.

Rental cars being in short supply are another factor that will affect travel this summer. Across the country, reports indicate that supply of rental cars is not meeting demand, which has served to inflate prices. Some travellers are getting creative to find a way – using new services such as Turo to rent a car (a peer-to-peer car sharing company), or even renting transport vehicles as a way to get around on vacation.

Another aspect that will have a significant impact on travel plans is gas prices. Traditionally, if air travel wasn’t readily feasible, many vacationers would have decided on a road trip instead. And in Atlantic Canada, short road trips in the region are a common occurrence. However with the price per litre sitting at over $2, road tripping is no longer an affordable alternative for many. Four-in-10 Atlantic Canadians indicated that the high price of gas for vehicles is now most affecting their cost of living.

AFFORDABILITY A FACTOR

And indeed, travelling at all is an expense many simply cannot afford as the prices of fuel and food rise. Nearly half of Atlantic Canadians told us they are now worse off financially than they were a year ago, and economic optimism for the year to come is in short supply.

While the desire to travel is clearly present, many will not be able to afford this luxury. But if travel is in the cards for you this summer, pack a good book, be prepared to wait, and be flexible – things will likely not go exactly as scheduled. As staff at airports, airlines, rental car counters, hotels, restaurants and attractions adjust to increased numbers of vacationers, patience and kindness on the part of travellers will be greatly appreciated.

Data included in this article are mostly drawn from Narrative Research’s Atlantic Quarterly survey, including views from 1,450 residents of Atlantic Canada conducted from May 5 – 24, 2022. Results from a probability sample of this size carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level.